Cathy Engelbert Plans to Retire as WNBA Searches for Successor
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that a search firm is actively vetting candidates to find her successor as she plans to retire at the end of the year.
Detroit, MI, October 17, 2026 —
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert plans to retire at the end of the year, and a search firm is actively vetting candidates to succeed her, according to her announcement. The league has begun identifying potential successors, but no candidate was named in the information provided.
The announcement establishes the planned timing of Engelbert’s departure and confirms that a search is underway. It does not specify when the firm began its work, how many candidates are being considered, or when the WNBA expects to select a successor. The search firm’s name was not provided.
Engelbert’s stated plan is to retire at year-end. No reason for her retirement was included in the announcement summary, and no further details were provided about the transition or her responsibilities before she leaves. The information also does not identify who will oversee the league after her departure if a successor has not yet been selected.
For now, the confirmed development is the start of candidate vetting as the WNBA prepares for a change in its top leadership. Further details about the search, the candidates, and the timing of a decision were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Doug Feinberg, Associated Press on www.clickondetroit.com, see more information here.
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